Dust to Dust
by JustAFerret
Summary: Athene was an ambitious young girl. Working in the Schnee Quarry, she always fought to better the lives of others. With a fatal lung disease caused by unrefined dust on the rise, she will do whatever it takes to help. Even if it means having to deal with notorious criminals, violent freedom fighters, and the heiress of the Schnee Dust Company.
1. On A Snowflake's Edge

**Hey everyone, just a quick moment to say that there is a big chance that this could be an AU, but I'll try to keep to the canon as closely as I can. Other than that, enjoy!**

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Dust to Dust

Chapter 1: On A Snowflake's Edge

The sweet aroma of cinnamon beckoned Dekan to his mug. It had been a long, stressful day and nothing more would bring him such a wonderful release as his home-brewed concoction. Sliding two long fingers into the porcelain handle, he took a dainty sip and reclined into his old chair.

Flickers of orange danced across his pale features, losing themselves in the thick beard that climbed up to his matted black hair. The crackles of the fire in front of him served to loosen the knots in his muscles by sound alone, sinking him into a soft euphoria. He turned to look out into the window. An endless wave of grey covered the sky like a wool blanket. Dots and specks of snow drifted slowly across the window before joining together in the pristine slopes of white that covered the ground.

Today had been coming along just like any other. Workers would come by with injuries of varying severity, from the flu to a broken arm. Mr. Morras had even returned to continue to complain about an injury that wasn't even there. Dekan knew just like the rest of the mining town that Morras was suffering from something more in the mental area. Unfortunately, it was outside his area of expertise and Dekan already knew the outcome of asking the Schnee Company for some outside assistance. He was lucky enough to even be transferred to the small shanty town in the first place twenty years ago.

Taking another sip of the sweet drink and setting it down on an end table, Dekan reclined into his chair and tented his fingers across his stomach. Releasing a lengthy sigh, Dekan didn't fail to notice to cloud of warm breath leaving his lips. Shanty towns like this weren't known for keeping the cold out, but he would have at least like a little more wood to stoke his fire.

Three hard knocks came from his door and he sighed. A little more time to enjoy the brief lull in patients would have been nice. But he expected nothing less when the workers were forced to work in dangerous conditions. Accidents were as inescapable as the next day.

Dekan rose from his chair and headed towards the door. The rotten wood creaked underneath his weight and he reminded himself yet again to get around to replacing the planks. He opened the small door to his shack and found a girl standing on the other side. Her thick green scarf concealed her face and hair, leaving only her dark and also green eyes visible between the folds.

"Athene? Are you okay?" The girl's murky eyes trailed downward until they fell to her beige leather boots caked in melting snow.

"I…talked with the rep from Schnee Corp. It's a no-go. Gave me the whole 'it's on our list of priorities' lecture and walked off without a look back. Jerk," she huffed. She brushed past Dekan and plopped down on the dirty rug, staring at the crackling fire. Dekan shut the door, watching Athene curiously while taking his seat back on his chair. His guest sighed and unraveled the scarf from her face, revealing her short pale blonde hair that didn't even reach the base of her neck. She looked over her shoulder, appearing to be deep in thought, "Hey Dekan, you wouldn't mind making me some of that stuff, would ya?"

Dekan gave a light chuckle and handed her his mug, "Help yourself, little owl. One whiff of this always did lift your spirits."

thene rolled her eyes and gingerly took the mug from him, "You always loaded it with sugar though. And stop calling me little owl. Feel like a five year old again."

"That's right, you're a grown up sixteen year old now. I remember when you were a little babe sitting on my doorstep," Dekan said as he stood at a nearby counter, brewing another cup of his favorite drink. Athene took large gulp and winced.

"Sheesh, bring out a scrapbook why don'tcha?" she retorted. Dekan sat back down in his chair with a mug larger than the one he gave Athene and laughed.

"Don't need to. It's all right up here," Dekan pointed at his head. Athene merely took another sip of the warm beverage. Dekan looked up at the window and furrowed his brow, "Working the quarry tomorrow?"

Athene smile suddenly dropped. So did Dekan's. Despite her young age, she was still very much an 'associate' of the Schnee Dust Company. Dekan, however, was excluded from the labor because of his value as a doctor. He'd seen the world in its entirety but for Athene, the quarry was all she knew. And unfortunately for her, it wasn't a slice of paradise.

"Yup. Heard Midden was going to be supervisor tomorrow. He's not a fun guy to be around," she muttered. Running a finger over the rim of the cup, she added, "I swear if he gives me any lip tomorrow, he's getting a face full of Asio Talon."

"Little owl, you know that'd be more trouble than it'd worth," Dekan said sternly. Athene gave him a cocky grin and pulled out a metal cylinder. With a flick of her wrist, the small tube extended on both ends, growing into a bo staff topped off with a three-pronged claw on the end.

"I don't know. Watching him getting launched into the atmosphere might make it worth it," she smiled. Dekan looked over the staff with a certain amount of scrutiny. His eyes followed the elaborate, vine-like engravings that ran along the grey steel. Asio Talon, as she had been affectionately calling it since she could form words, had been bundled up with her when Dekan found her on his doorstep one late night. Whoever her parents were, they thought it important enough to let her have it so Dekan didn't deny them that request. Although, there had been a few incidents concerning broken lamps, vases, and rib cages as she grew older.

"You know they aren't going to take kindly to having a weapon in the quarry. You're not even supposed to have it now," Dekan said in some effort to defuse her plan. Athene's staff retracted in on itself before she nestled it back on her belt. Her grin suddenly faded as she propped her head against her hand.

"Tennet used to say that all the time. Never listened, but…it was nice to know he cared," she said softly. Dekan felt the mood plummet like a bag of rocks. Athene hadn't brought Tennet up often the past week but when she did, she always left with a somber mood.

"Athene…I'm sorry. I tried to do every I-"

"I know, Dekan. I-I don't blame you for anything. Dust Lung ain't nothing like the flu. I'm just glad that he doesn't have to suffer anymore," Athene pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on them, "You'd think the bigwigs would invest in some better masks after he died. That shoddy garbage they call breathers are only being held together by duct tape and crossed fingers."

A lull of silence entered between them. Dekan anxiously bit his lip, desperate the change the subject. Athene looked out the window before turning back to him, "Hey Dekan, is it alright if I stay here the night? I don't want to go back home right now."

"Of course, Athene. Make yourself comfortable. Your room's the same as when you left it last week," he said with a reassuring smile. Athene rose to her feet and discarded her scarf on a coat hanger. Athene stretched her arms while standing on the tips of her toes. She looked down at the beige fur-lined coat she had fashioned with some reinforced leather and mumbled about hating the cold before she took off her gloves of the same color that reached to her elbows.

"Thanks a ton, Dekan. I'm gonna have to get up early tomorrow. Schnee and his family are having some grand ball for their daughter and they're asking for an entire day's worth of dust to compensate. Well, 'day' may be an understatement," Athene said. Dekan took both of their cups and drained them in a sink off in the corner.

"It's her last year at Signal, isn't it? I can understand that. She goes to Beacon next year. I can imagine that party being even more lavish," Dekan commented. Athene groaned and leaned her head against the wall.

"Nooo…don't say that. All the dust I'm going to have to mine. It's like a legal method of torture," taking her head off the wall, she sighed, "No wait, it IS a legal method of torture."

"Then you better get ready for tomorrow. Go on, get some sleep. I'll wake you up at the crack of dawn," Dekan said. Athene gave him an exaggerated bow before heading to a closed door to her right. Shutting the door behind her, Athene took a few tentative steps forward to bask herself in the familiar surroundings. Her room wasn't much to look at, but it was her little domain for fifteen years. If what Dekan said was true, then to her left would be…

"It's still here," Athene breathed. Taking care not to drop it, she sat down on the small bed and set it down in front of her. She stared through the transparent glass and smiled when she saw the red dust lying at the bottom of the tube. Her fingers searched around the bottom until she found a switch and flicked it on.

The tiny invention whirred to life. Athene's smile grew as the red dust began to glow and dance around in the small space. The slow motions reflected across her tiny room in a rosy light. Athene lay down on her stomach, never taking her eyes off the display, "Funny how my junk is holding together better than theirs, huh Tennet?"

Her smile dimmed and the light brightened. She watched one speck of dust flutter through the tube, rising up to the top before falling in a spiral to join a large group, "Never got why you were so into my contraptions. They're mostly just for show and half the time the show ended with a bang."

Athene sat up so that she was sitting cross-legged and cradled the dust lamp in her lap, "But you still kept this one. Kinda glad you did."

With a shake of her head, Athene shut off the small device and put it back on the dresser next to her door. She dropped unceremoniously onto the mattress and buried her face into her pillow, hoping to shut the rest of the world away. Much to her satisfaction, she drifted to sleep not long after.

…

Once morning arrived, Athene snapped out of her sleep and jumped into her uniform. After bidding Dekan a quick farewell, she anxiously ventured towards the quarry. Puffs of black smoke soon accompanied the rolling grey skies. Not long after, Athene heard the telltale signs of machinery grinding through stone and gravel.

"Welcome to the Schnee Quarry, where explosions are mandatory and safety is optional," Athene remarked as she tugged on hem of her silver overalls. She looked down at the Schnee symbol on her torso with a pinch of malice.

Athene came to a halt. There, in the middle of the ocean of snow, lay the Schnee Quarry. Down below she could see all the other miners going about their job. Some were busily shoveling through loose gravel while others primed charges to the upper levels of rock. Massive industrial bulldozers and cranes were littered across the quarry, pushing and transporting left over debris. All in an effort to mine the most valuable resource known to man.

Rather than find the slope that led down, Athene opted to jump off the top and then off every level of stone until she reached the bottom. She landed on the loose gravel with a puff, clouds of smoke rising up from her landing.

"Athene?"

Turning to her left, Athene spotted a burly man with beady eyes and a shaved head hefting a dust tank over his shoulder, "You aren't late again, are you?"

"Nooo Horus…at least, I don't think I am," Athene returned.

"You better hope not. Midden's been going off on the new recruits all morning. I know you two have been butting heads for a while now so for your sake, it might be best to lay low today," Horus told her as they both walked across the quarry.

"I'll be fine Horus, really. As long as Midden stays a good fifty feet from me, I won't cause any trouble," Athene promised while tracing a heart over her chest.

"I'll believe it when I see it. You mean well, I know. But you can be a bit…eh, how do I put this?" Horus put his free hand over his chin in thought. Athene skipped a few feet ahead and faced him, hands behind her back.

"Ambitious?" she quipped with her best smile.

"Destructive." Horus answered. Athene groaned, encouraging a hearty laugh from her companion. She twirled back around and kept walking, her head hanging a little lower.

"So what's this about new recruits?" she asked once he caught up to her.

"Ah right, a whole new batch of 'em. Most of them look ruined, down on their luck with no place to go. I uh…even caught a few about your age," Horus swung the tank off his shoulder so that it hung a few inches off the ground, "At least we'll have a few more helping hands."

"We're going to need more space back at town, aren't we?" Athene asked with a cracked tone. Horus simply nodded.

"Hopefully a few generous souls will make room. I know I will. The kids are the priority right now," Horus said. Athene stared down at the stones and dirt that made up the quarry's ground, absently biting her lip.

"You know, I have some extra room since Tennet…I can see about helping out however I can," she said, staring up at his dark eyes. Horus gave a smile so wide; Athene was willing to be it'd start hurting before long.

"I'd appreciate it, Athene. And I'm sorry about Tennet. I know how much he meant to you," he said. Athene gave him a small wave like she just offered to cover his lunch.

"It's nothing Horus, but thanks," she said with a pat on his arm. Horus gave a firm nod.

"Don't mention it."

…

"Alright clear out everyone! Explosives are primed and ready to go!" shouted one of the worker's next to Athene. Taking the cue, Athene took a few steps back and admired the multitude of explosives held together by a web of wires.

"Maybe we'll actually hit something this time," Athene mumbled to herself as her gaze turned to the right, where six other holes were blown into the rock wall. She took a few steps back and turned around to sprint to cover. She hopped over a mining cart and peeked over the top, watching the explosives with bated breath.

Athene made her gloved hands into an 'O' shape and peeked through them like binoculars. Meanwhile the other miners ran even further away from her position. A few even shouted at her to back up, but she paid them no heed. The coming explosion was the only thing she had to look forward to when she was working. If she was going to watch it, it'd be in a front row seat.

"Fire in the hole, fire in the hole, fire in the hole!"

Athene leaned over the cart with every word. An impish smile grew once she heard three consecutive beeps. Then a shockwave coupled with a harsh explosion blasted out in an outward arc, kicking up debris and tossing it aside with tremendous force. Athene's short bangs were blown back, but the rest of her body refused to give an inch. Bits of rock fell all around her as she squealed in glee, jumping up and down like an excited school girl.

"That was awesome! Solid nine out of ten!" she exclaimed, raising her fists into the air.

"H-Hey, I see some dust!" one of the workers shouted. Athene lowered her hands slightly and squinted through the thick clouds. A blue ethereal glow pierced through the foggy grey. In a motion practiced by countless routines, Athene pulled her breather out of her pocket and slipped it over her head until it covered her nose and mouth.

A constant _chitting _noise emanated from the mouthpiece every time she breathed. A telltale sign that the mask was getting fragile with age. Athene joined the crowd of miners converging on the blast zone, pulling out a blue canister topped with a long drill all the while.

"Looks like cyan dust. Ice," one of the miners said to his friend. Athene gently pushed them aside and flipped the drill on. Others followed suit, gathering around the dust deposit in a tight circle. Kneeling down, Athene could barely make out the thin fumes swirling from the dust. With careful precision, Athene guided the drill along the dust deposits. More fumes wafted from the dust as she cut it loose.

"Ugh, my mask keeps falling apart," one of the miners remarked as he tried to keep his mask together. Athene suddenly stopped, so did some of the other miners.

"Hey man, cover your mouth and get outta here! You don't wanna catch Dust Lung, do you?" one of them said.

"Wh-What? I feel fine. I'm just saying that-"

"You breather is busted man. Get it fixed. One whiff won't get you Dust Lung, but when you catch it, there's no stopping it," one of the other miners warned him. Athene came to the man's side and nudged him on the shoulder.

"Come on, I can see if I can get it fixed," she offered. The boy, who looked no older than her with his mousy brown hair and deep blue eyes, exchanged a look with his companions before giving her a half-hearted shrug.

Athene pulled her mask off, taking care not to breathe in the unrefined fumes and ushered the man to follow her. Once they were a safe distance away, Athene abruptly stopped and turned to him, "You're new, aren't you?"

"Um…yeah. First day on the job. You too?" he asked after taking off his breather mask. Athene shook her head.

"I've been working here for nearly seven years," she answered him. The boy's brow furrowed, an expression Athene was all too familiar with. Placing a hand on his head, the boy struggled to get a single word out, so Athene did it for him, "Yeah, I've been here all my life. Did small stuff when I first started, got promoted to miner two years ago."

"A-All your life? That's…that's insane. How?" he asked. Athene sighed, her eyes dropping to the ground. The kid was curious, that much was for certain. But she didn't feel like reciting her entire life story to him. Not while they were on the clock.

"It's a long story, but I'll tell you later. Name's Athene Noctua by the way. Pleased to meet'cha," Athene said in a more cheery tone, holding out her hand. The boy graciously took it and gave it a firm shake.

"Declan Norcross. I uh, came here to work and…yeah," he said sheepishly. He tried to cover his face, but Athene could easily see the red behind his fingers. While she would jump at the chance to tease him, she knew she had to be courteous to the new guy. Being dumped in a place like this couldn't have been easy for him. Instead she punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"Ow, hey what was that for?!" Declan said. Athene shrugged with a knowing grin on her face.

"Rite of passage. Congratulations, you're one of us," she said. Declan rubbed his arm, a slightly pained expression on his face.

"ATHENE!"

She recognized the voice instantly and it caused her no shortage of irritation. Her teeth were already grinding as she turned around to face her supervisor. Even looking at his gaunt face and lanky body was enough to illicit unpleasant thoughts in her mind. Nevertheless, she tried her best to put on a professional place. The last thing she needed was another lecture from the Schnee Dust Company's 'Supervisor of the Month'.

"Yes Mr. Midden?" she said through gritted teeth and a forced smile. Even Declan could feel the hostility radiating from her like an angry Beowolf hiding behind a thin veil.

"Don't just stand around! There's plenty of work to do unless you want me to _find_ you something. Get to it before I have to write you up…again!" Midden said.

"Just so you know _sir, _I was going to help Declan here fix his mask. Sorry, but I'd rather not have his first day be his last," she replied, a drop of scorn falling into every last work. Midden took a step forward, his face turning red. Rather than distance herself, Athene took a step herself, meeting his silent challenge.

"I'm only going to say this once, Noctua. Let Declan fix it himself and get back to work," Midden growled. Athene curled her hands into fists and took a step back, letting a steady breath escape her lips.

"Got it," she said without looking at him. Athene turned on her heels and gave Declan one last look before walking back to join the rest of the miners. Declan grimaced and stared down at the broken breather in his hand, a small idea forming in his head.

…

A bitter chill ran down Athene's abdomen. Her fingers had gone numb a long time ago and the rest of her was soon to follow, but it would all be worth it in the end. She was sure of it.

The whole manor stood proudly in her view. She had taken the time to get her usual outfit on before going on her dangerous mission. It was more like just sitting on a hill and watching the guards for a couple of hours, but that would have sounded too boring for her.

_Freezing to death is always a danger, _Athene reasoned to herself. She took a moment to observe the different features of the Schnee House. Several points seemed good for potential infiltration, but the west wall seemed to most promising.

She didn't fail to notice the sound of crunching snow behind her. Her hand instinctively migrated towards her staff, trying to be as discreet as possible. She wrapped her fingers tightly around the handle, waiting patiently for the footsteps to get louder. Her thumb ghosted over the small switch embedded in the handle. Her body tensed up with each second, ready to spring like a mousetrap.

In a flash, Athene pushed herself up to her feet with one hand and brought the staff around with the other. The claw swung in a wide arc, heading straight for her guest's face. She only had milliseconds to spare before she recognized Declan's terrified face and stopped her staff dead in its tracks.

Declan's eyes were closed shut, his face drawn in a permanent expression of terror. His arms hung on his sides, shivering in the intense cold or fear. Athene couldn't really tell.

"So…you didn't see your life flash before your eyes, right?" she asked. Declan cracked one eye open and meekly shook his head, "Good. That's good. So I didn't totally freak you out."

Athene pulled her staff back and stuffed it back onto her belt. Declan allowed himself to breathe and frowned at her, "What are you doing all the way out here? And where did you get that?"

"Spying. And where this beauty comes from is confidential," Athene replied through her thick green scarf without looking at him. She dropped back down into the snow, patting the area next to her. Declan raised a brow and laid down next to her. Then, without warning, Athene wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in close.

"Ya see that over there?" she asked, practically in a whisper while pointing at the manor. Declan tried to focus on what she was saying rather than the growing heat between them.

"The snow?" he asked with some mirth. Athene frowned and playfully pushed him off her. Regaining control of himself, Declan tried to see through the snow and spotted what she was pointing at.

"White Castle, home to the Schnee Family and their prodigal daughter. I've been keeping an eye on them for a quite a bit," Athene said. She pulled her scarf up higher so that it covered her nose. Being in the cold all her life, Athene expected to have gotten used to it by now. But shoveling piles of snow the size of her house and occasionally getting buried by them had a way of keeping it under her arch-nemesis list, "You see, I've been planning something. For the past couple of months, I've been trying to find a way to make things better for everyone back in town. But none of the reps are giving me the time of day. So…if I can't get past them, I'll just have to go over them."

"What? Are you going to talk to the head of the company? Is that even…you know, allowed?" Declan asked.

"Don't know, but there's only one way to find out. I'll just nonchalantly show myself inside and talk to 'em personally. No drama, no nothin'. Just good ol' fashioned negotiation between two involved parties," Athene said.

"I don't think that's going to work," Declan said. The girl next to him jumped up to her feet and turned on her heels. Afraid he said something that upset her, Declan quickly added, "I mean, if the reps didn't help you what makes you think the CEO would? And would he even listen? You're breaking into his house, you know."

"Because the CEO is in charge of the whole shebang. You know all that talk about employees being the greatest asset? Well they aren't going to have much of a business if half their workforce is six feet under!" Athene said, practically shouting near the end. Placing two fingers on her forehead, Athene let go of a long sigh and said in a much softer tone, "He has to help us. He has to. If he doesn't…I'm out of ideas."

"You're pretty committed to this, aren't you?" Declan said with a half-smile; one that Athene returned.

"Someone has to look out for them. Sure I might be risking a lot by trespassing and breaking into my boss' house but if it works, it'll be worth it," Athene said. She turned away from the Schnee house, back towards the town a long ways away, "Listen, you might be better off not getting involved. If by some amazing stroke of bad luck I do get arrested, you shouldn't get fingered as an accomplice."

"Where am I supposed to go? I don't have a place to stay and the inn's a little too rich for my blood," Declan said.

"Then you can bunk in my house. I have an empty bed, food, fireplace. Just abide to my rules and you're welcome to stay as long as you like," Athene offered.

"Okay, what are the rules?"

"No leaving the door open, don't wake me up or you will get a staff to the face, don't touch anything in the food storage that has my name on it, and don't open the trapdoor in the corner," she said, counting each rule off with a finger.

"T-Trapdoor? Why? What's in there?" Declan asked. Athene closed the distance between them, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Terrible things. Trust me, you're better off being blissfully unaware," she said, taking a few steps back and throwing her arms up in an exaggerated shrug. Declan crossed his arms, tilting his head to the side with a confused look.

"Out of everyone I've met today…you've got to be the most uh, odd?" he murmured. Athene grew a wide grin and began cackling like a mad witch.

"Oh don't worry, we're all mad here," she snickered. Her hand dashed forward and grabbed the sleeve of Declan's work shirt. With an insistent tug, she led him away from the Schnee house, "I'll show you the place. It's not much to look at, but it's mine. That makes it special."

Through the extreme snowfall, Athene led Declan back to the mining town. The kid was a little nervous and unsure of himself, but Athene had grown fond of him. She felt the need to lookout for him in a tough place like the quarry. Maybe one day if he was willing, he could help her try to bring some comfort and relief to the distressed masses living the same way they were.

Until then though, she needed to do things alone.


	2. Play Me a Song

**I'm guessing it's high time to get the ball rolling.**

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Chapter 2: Play Me A Song

Athene stomped through the deep snow, rubbing her palms furiously together. A plastic bag hung off her wrist, swaying from the contents inside. Other residents of the shanty town tried to traverse the thick snow with about as much luck as her. She had heard time and time again today that a blizzard was sweeping through the area yet somehow she found a way to be outside at the worst possible time. She didn't even have a scarf or thick coat to protect her from the biting chill.

"Dekan…sending me to do your dirty work…not cool. More like ice cold," Athene tried to laugh at her own joke until snow got into her mouth, "Blagh! Euch! Why?!"

Athene moved out of the main stretch of road and cut through a small alley. The snow grew thin between the two buildings, letting her take more solid steps. Athene broke into a small jog, taking care not to sway the bag too much. Her steps slowed to a crawl, her free hand pressing against the thick wood of the building next to her. A sharp wind passed through her. A shiver ran down her spine as she bent over. Athene stared down at the bag, biting her lip.

"Well, I can chalk this up as an emergency," she said while diving into the bag. She pulled out a cup and snapped a small hole on the top, taking in the scent of the warm and sweet aroma fanning from the top. Normally, she would have found a more suitable place to enjoy her scalding chocolate milk, but she was cold and fourteen year old impulsiveness was the name of the game.

Athene dropped down cross-legged and took a gentle sip, letting the warmth sit before taking another drink. She licked her lips and leaned back against the wall, pulling her knees up to her chest as if to keep the warm sensation from going away. Closing her eyes, Athene took another drink focusing purely on the luscious flavor. A drawn out 'ahhhh' left her lips before she opened her eyes. Then she froze when she noticed the figure sitting a mere three feet from her, hunched over in a thick coat.

"Uhh…hello?"

The boy looked up from the ground to look at her, eyeing her up in down. Athene scrunched her face. She waved a hand in front of her and caught his attention, "You alright there, dude? Well, actually don't answer that. You don't look alright."

The boy curled up further, his brown eyes boring into her green ones. It was obvious from his shivering and his rosy nose that he was cold. Heck, anyone outside for more than a couple of seconds would be. Athene frowned and stood up, taking a few steps before sitting down next to him. She held out the steaming cup to him, shaking the contents inside.

"If you're gonna be cold out here, I might as well be cold with ya," Athene said with a friendly smile. The boy hesitated briefly and took the cup with two hands, taking care not to drop it. The boy took a long drink before sighing and handing it back to her. Athene took a sip then passed it back.

"Umm…thanks. Thank you so much," the boy said in a subdued tone. Athene patted him on the shoulder.

"It's nothing…uh…"

"Tennet"

"It's nothing, Tennet. We all gotta help each other once in'a while," she said. Tennet took another sip and passed it to her. The two shared a brief moment silence, taking turns drinking out of the cup. Once the cup reached Athene again, she tilted to cup with only a small drop falling out.

"Huh, that was quick. So not worth the Lien," Athene remarked. She bounced up to her feet and turned to Tennet, "So I'm assuming you don't want to stick around here…"

Tennet took her hand and stood up, running a hand over his snow caked black hair. Athene pointed at the alley's exit. A shack with a pillar of smoke billowing out of the chimney stood on a hill, "We got a good fire going back at our place. Dekan's a pretty awesome guy. I'm sure he wouldn't mind having you as a guest."

Tennet wringed his hands together, appearing to be deep in thought. Athene bounced on her toes and put her hands behind her back, waiting for an answer.

"I guess staying a night wouldn't hurt. I don't want to intrude, though," Tennet said.

"Pssshhaaaw, it ain't nothin'. Besides, we got to stick together. That's what Dekan's always saying. He always told me to 'help someone if they need it'," Athene recited while holding a finger in the air. Her finger twirled while she added, "He also said that I shouldn't talk to strangers, but I guess I already broke that rule."

"Well, I guess if I won't be a burden then I'll take you up on that offer," Tennet said. Athene's smile grew wider and she seized the cuff of his coat.

"Then let's go. Daylight's going to fall and I don't want to be out when it does," she said as she practically dragged Tennet back to Dekan's house.

…

A fierce chill of air rapped against the shack's dirty windows. The dark interior was sparse and cold, evidenced by the kindling in the fireplace that had turned black long ago. Amidst the dead air sitting in Athene's shack, the only thing that could be heard was the doorknob's incessant jingling.

Athene's voice could be heard muffled behind the door, "Come on, you stupid…don't make me…"

"Is it locked maybe? Do you have a key?" Declan suggested. After another bout of doorknob rattling, Athene groaned and took a few steps back.

"Wait, you're not actually going to-"

"HIIIYAAA!"

The door splintered off from the latch and flung off the side, loudly banging against the wall. Athene stood in the door's threshold with her leg still raised. Declan rubbed the back of his head, his mouth hanging open.

"Was…was that really necessary?" he asked. Athene lowered her foot and took a few steps in, lighting a lantern that hung from the ceiling. She began to fiddle with the knob on the lantern's side, trying to adjust the light.

"Door gets jammed all the time. Sometimes, I have to get a little physical with it. Don't sweat it, I'll have it fixed before lo-" Athene turned around and fell silent. Declan looked all around her home. The kitchen, compromised of a small fridge and a hotplate sitting on a counter, was off to his right. The two beds were across from him, one with its sheets ravaged and falling partway off the side. Aside from the main room, there was only one more door that led to what he assumed was the bathroom.

Athene forced the door closed and grabbed some wire off the kitchen counter, tying it securely to a bolt she had put into the wall next to the door. She took the free ends and wrapped them around the door knob, pulling on them to secure it.

Declan nervously rubbed his arm, trying not to disturb any of her things. A quick glint caught his attention and his eyes fell on a trapdoor off in the corner next to the unkempt bed. Athene warned him about not opening it but a curiosity seemed to override his reasoning as he stepped closer.

Declan examined the padlock and latches. Despite her shack being in disrepair like the rest of the town, the hinges and lock on the trapdoor were in surprisingly good condition. The metal looked new and the lock itself was embedded into the wood with thick bolts. He reached out and ran a finger over it. Then a sharp jolt of pain cracked on his wrist and ran up his arm.

"Gah!" he shouted, yanking his arm away. He stumbled backwards and bumped into Athene. She stared him down with Asio Talon fully extended and rapping against her open palm. A shiver ran down his spine as her unnerving glare bored into him. For a sixteen year old girl, she could look very menacing if she wanted to.

"What did I tell ya? Not five minutes in and you already broke the most important rule. You're not setting a good track record, Deky," Athene growled. Declan furiously rubbed his wrist, taking a step back. Athene pointed the claw at him, prominently displaying the sharp tips on each prong. For the first time since they met, Declan didn't feel any sense of friendship or cheerfulness coming from her.

"I've extended my charity so I expect you to play by my rules, is that clear?" she took a step forward, tapping Declan on the shoulder with the claw. Declan was sweating bullets, nodding vigorously in agreement.

"Yeah, yeah, okay you made your point. I won't go prying anymore, I swear!" Athene narrowed her eyes then cracked a smile. Asio Talon retracted on herself and twirled it back underneath her scarf and tucked into her belt.

"Sounds real, right? Anyways, don't sweat it. Just don't touch it again, what's down there could be trouble for both of us, okay?" Athene bent down next to her bed and dragged a shaggy rug out from under it. After a few tugs, she placed it over the trapdoor, clapping her hands together afterwards, "Anyways, we may want to hit the hay. Schnee's are having a ball soon and we gotta get ready for some extra workload."

"What? Why the extra work?" Declan asked as he sat down on the untouched bed and pulled off his work boots. Athene flopped down on her bed, propping an arm up to hold her head.

"Dust pretty much powers everything in that house. Big ball will put quite a strain on the electrical system. So they're going to set up additional generators, which need more dust, to keep the stress down," Athene explained. She sat up cross legged and pulled out Asio Talon, taking a piece of cloth out of her pocket to clean it.

"How do you know all this?" Declan asked her. Athene shrugged nonchalantly and focused on wiping the staff clean of any dirt.

"Same way I learn anything that goes on in there. Spyin'." she replied. The cloth ran over the detailed engravings and over the weapon's handle before going back to the claw and over each individual prong. Declan's eyes followed her actions until they reached the handle again. A peculiar hole rested in the middle of the handle. Athene liked to keep her secrets, but he hoped that she'd be more willing to talk about her weapon.

"What's with the hole there?" he asked. Athene removed the cloth and poked her finger through it. She looked him in the eyes and shrugged.

"Dunno actually. Never found anything that could be put in there. Might be an extra toy or some key that unlocks its ultimate form. That'd be pretty sweet. But my parent's never imparted that knowledge to me," Athene twirled the staff around her, tossing it to one hand and back to the other, before putting it back in its rightful place. She held up both hands and closed her eyes, taking on a blank expression, "But enough about me, it's time we go to bed. We can talk more in the morning."

Declan shrugged and complied with her wishes, drawing the covers over him and relaxing into the surprisingly comfy pillow. He could hear Athene do the same next to him. Silence took over the small shack until Declan's eyelids drooped and he drifted off to sleep. Athene tossed and turned on her mattress, her stomach churning. She had no intention of sleeping, but her nervous feeling was making it difficult to focus.

Athene didn't know how much time had passed by the time she turned to Declan, who had been sleeping for some time. Athene poked her head and looked through the one window in her house. It was dark enough to hide her movements. Now was the time for her to move. She quietly slipped out of bed and headed out the door, tying the wire keeping the door shut on the other side.

The wind had grown more ferocious as it tossed the longer end of her scarf one way or another. Athene pulled it up to cover her face and walked off.

…

Athene's clothes were caked in snow by the time she reached the Schnee house. As she hoped, most of the house had its lights off. With any luck, she'd catch Mr. Schnee before he went to bed. If not, she was not looking forward to waking him up. She had never met or seen the man before, and that made her more worried than anything.

"Okay, please don't go wrong. Please do NOT go wrong," Athene murmured to herself. She balanced Asio Talon on her arm, aiming the claw up at the roof. A finger rubbed the handle's trigger and pulled back.

The claw fired off into the air with a thick black cable trailing behind it. It flew up to the roof and snapped shut around a stone pillar. Athene pulled on her staff and took another look around her. With another pull of the trigger, Athene was yanked up. She zipped past the windows and balconies, paying full attention to the edge of the roof. Pulling the trigger again, the claw opened up and reeled back into the staff with Athene still flying into the air and rolling onto the roof.

"That could have gone a lot worse," Athene said to herself. She peeked through a clouded window, making out the subtle contours of the deserted halls, "Let's see…"

Athene grasped the window and tugged upwards with little effect, "Nope, it's locked. Of course it is."

She moved on to another window and tried again with the same result. She pouted and paced back and forth. She was pushing her luck enough when she decided to break into the Schnee House. If she just broke the window, she'd be adding property damage and a very angry boss to that list; and a very angry boss didn't sound like someone who'd hear her out.

An idea popped into her head. She raised her fist, getting her wits together, before knocking loudly against the glass. She dove out of the way and hugged the frozen ground. Time ticked by before she heard a _click _followed by the window opening.

"A Nevermore doesn't hit the window more than once, you know?" a voice said from inside. Athene could spy two white gloves grabbing the window frame.

"Then what hit the window?"

Athene covertly crawled towards the window, keeping her staff at the ready. One gloves hand reached up and grabbed the open window, "Does it matter? It didn't break so quit worrying about it. We still have to set up the stage, come on."

A low grumble could be heard from the inside before the man shut the window closed, or so he thought. Athene slid her staff's handle under the window as he closed it, leaving a small opening. She waited until she was sure they were gone before opening the window. Slinking in, Athene crept up to the nearest open door and peeked inside. All she could make out were tall bookshelves with an end table sitting in the corner.

She moved on to the next one then the next; silently hoping that the man she was looking for would be inside. Every time she felt her hope diminishing. She came to a set of heavy doors and pressed her ear against the mahogany wood. She could hear what sounded like singing from the other side.

Athene found herself pressing her ear harder against the door, trying to decipher what was being said. The voice rose higher, singing proudly and full of energy. Something about it put Athene under a trance. It was, quite simply, delightful to listen to. Athene couldn't help but crack a smile.

She pressed against the door harder and felt her heart drop as the door swung open under her weight.

"Oh n-" Athene fell silent and hit the ground with a low _thud._ Her body went limp, whether by fear of being discovered or sheer embarrassment she couldn't tell. She could feel her face getting warm as she propped herself up by her elbows, "Okay, pretend that never happened."

She looked up and felt her jaw drop. The room was less of that and more of an elegant chamber. It shared the house's gothic style, sporting marble pillars and harsh, jagged arches that supported the ceiling. The Schnee insignia hung beautifully at the end of the long room, standing out in contrast to the wall as if it were illuminated by the moonlight pouring in from the ceiling.

"Holy…this place is…wow," Athene floated up to her feet and took a few meek steps inside, her hands close to her chest. Whoever was singing continued on without interruption, seemingly oblivious to her blunder. She came to a stop in front of a row of instruments. Her eyes traced the curves and edges of each one. She reached out and plucked one instrument's string, reveling in the solitary note it played. Athene couldn't help herself as she ran a finger across the entire row, smiling wider as the notes grew from a deep thrum to a light snap.

Moving on to another instrument, she stared in wonder at the long white keys splayed out to her. Her gloved finger pressed down on a key, receiving a pleasant hum in return. She played another key then another, getting a feel for the music before trying to play two notes at once. But much to her chagrin, she only managed a few notes before someone shouted into her ear.

"What are you DOING?"

A young girl was standing behind her, but it could have just as well been someone worse with the icy glare being directed at her. The girl placed her fists on her hips and shook her head, her pure white pony tail swaying from side to side.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?" she demanded. Athene tried to say something, anything but her brain refused to form the right words. Instead, she leaned back against the instrument she was playing and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"I'm one of the musicians for your ball! Just making sure they didn't damage my girl," she blurted out.

_Oh my…I did not just say that._

"You're one of the musicians? I find that hard to believe," the girl replied. Athene met her aggressive stance and crossed her arms. Her temper flared as she stared down the pale girl, letting the words fall out of her mouth without trying to stop them.

"Appearances are deceiving, you know. And for that matter…who are you?" she returned. The girl's expression turned sour. She stomped a foot into the ground and flailed her arms adamantly.

"Excuse me? Weiss Schnee? Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company? Ring any bells?" she fumed.

Athene titled her head to the side, her hard gaze suddenly turning soft and subdued, "Oh…wait, s-sorry. I didn't know you were…then do you know where your father is?"

Weiss wrapped her arms around herself, her own attitude lightening, "He's not here. He left this morning on a business trip."

Athene hung her head. All her efforts just went down the drain with a single sentence. She shut one eye and gritted her teeth as if she were in pain, "So…do you know when he'll be back. I, I mean we, need to talk to him about some things."

"No, I don't," Weiss said firmly, "So if you don't mind, you should leave. I have very important matters to attend to."

Athene scratched the back of her head and mumbled to herself, "I don't suppose you could pass some along for me. Like a message, ya know?"

Weiss' hard stare was all she needed for an answer.

"Ooookay. I'll be going now. Just pretend I was never here," Athene said as she took a few steps backwards.

"Gladly," Weiss said before sauntering off without a look back. Athene ran a hand over her face, sighing as she walked off the opposite way. Retreating back into the darkness, she didn't even bother trying to sneak through the low lit halls. Her heart filled with lead, making her slouch as if it were an actual weight. She reached the window she came and climbed out back into the chill.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she said to herself, looking out over the horizon like it held the answer.

Then the world vanished before her eyes and the air was forced out of her lungs. A large pair of arms wrapped around her and threw her over someone's shoulder. Athene struggled to fight back, but yelped when someone twisted her arms behind her back.

"_He _wants to see you, "a voice said behind her. That was enough for Athene to stop her struggling and go limp in defeat. She knew who they were talking about, but she didn't expect an escort to go along with the request.

"I-Is this really necessary?" she squeaked. No one answered. No one ever did. That's the way things had worked for months. She was involved in a good deal. Only problem was that she wasn't the one reaping the benefits. So she resigned herself to staying quiet and waiting for the bag to be taken off.

...

Some time passed with her struggling to breathe through the thick fabric. Just as she was going to snap from being stuck in a sweltering sack, she was dropped into a chair and had it ripped off. A single lamp lit up the desk in front of her. Small glass bottles filled with various forms of dust were strewn across it. She recognized each one along with the man standing on the other side of the desk.

"You know why you're here?" Midden asked her, his ever-present tone already grating her nerves. Trying to keep some kind of appearance going, Athene glared at him.

"I can guess," she replied. Midden grabbed one of the bottles and tapped it harshly against the table, threatening to break it.

"My sources have been telling me you haven't been holding up your end of the bargain. I don't suppose you have an acceptable excuse as to why that is?" Midden asked her after carelessly tossing the bottle back on the desk.

"Look, I know I've been skipping a bit, but it's not because I'm getting cold feet, it's just-"

"I would certainly hope it wasn't because of that. Unless you'd want to have your already-bleak future be ruined right in front of you," Midden said.

"I'm just tired, is all. There's just a lot of stuff going on right now and I need time to get my bearings," Athene defended. Midden shook his head and scowled. He slammed his hands on the desk, knocking over some bottles in the process.

"You think this is a game, Athene? You think you can work at your lazy, inept pace and I wouldn't mind? No, you're forgetting who's pulling your strings," Midden circled around the desk and took Athene's face in a bony hand, staring her down with dark eyes. All semblance of trying to stay strong disappeared in an instant. Athene felt glued to her chair, unable to so much as breathe, "Let's get down to the bones of it all. You steal that dust for me, lock it away. And I don't spill about that attempted heist you tried to pull a year ago for another month. You don't get to make the rules here. You either play along or pay the price. What's it going to be?"

Athene tried to pull free of Midden's grasp. Her hand tried to reach for her most trusted weapon even though she knew full well Midden's goons took it off her. The man in front of her cracked a toothy grin and let her go.

"I want twice the amount by the end of the Schnee Ball. You don't come through, you get the first ticket to Stockholm Prison," Midden said as he turned his back to her. Athene nearly jumped out of her chair.

"Twice?! I don't even have enough for the usual amount. How am I supposed to get that much just by scraping off the top of shipments?!" she argued. Midden shrugged and sat back in a torn leather chair.

"Figure it out. Get that Declan boy to help you if you need it. It's not my problem, so don't act like it is," he said. Athene growled and felt another pair of hands grab her by the arms, "Show her the door."

Athene was pulled out of her chair and practically dragged away. Before Midden's door shut, he shouted, "Remember what I said, Athene. We'll be seeing each other again very soon."


End file.
